


Noticing You

by wonderlandiscrumbling



Category: Gallowglass (TV 1993), Takin' Over the Asylum
Genre: Comfort, Gentle, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, mentions of abuse, past abusive relationship, they're very sweet together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:41:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23301823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderlandiscrumbling/pseuds/wonderlandiscrumbling
Summary: Joe has been noticing Campbell ever since they first met, but recently he's been noticing him a lot more. He's also noticing his feelings for him are crossing into something more intense than strong friendship.
Relationships: Campbell Bain/Joe (Gallowglass)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 39





	Noticing You

**Author's Note:**

> Parts show canon and book canon in terms of Gallowglass.

He’d really begun to notice Campbell lately. Well, okay he’d always noticed him, noticed the way his quite lovely light brown hair flopped over his face far too often obscuring those beautiful brown eyes of his that were always filled with so much love that it made him want to cry, he’d cried once because of it. That had been embarrassing, he hadn’t even known what to say when he’d asked him what made him cry. Still he noticed him, noticed him more, became more aware mentally of how close they were. The way Campbell held him when they lay in bed together, his long lean arms wrapped around his waist, his hand often resting against his stomach. Sometimes Joe would play with his fingers while he slept, trace his own much shorter fingers along Campbell’s. He would smile to himself, pleased that he could touch him to his heart’s content; he still was getting used to that. It had been three months since their friendship became something less like friends and more like lovers, it was an odd word to roll around in his brain, but it made him incredibly happy. The closest he’d had to a real lover had been Sandor and even then he’d only seen Joe as a servant, which had been fine, at the time.

As much as it pained him to think about, to realize, he knew that the way things had been with Sandor and with Tilly hadn’t been normal. He knew each time he would ramble to Campbell about either of them that it wasn’t normal, that heart breaking look on his face and the way he would gently assure Joe that he would never harm him or threaten him. He would occasionally tell him, make sure he knew that Sandor only ever hurt him because he’d deserved it; he’d fucked up so many times, said the wrong thing, or asked him too many questions. Tilly had never physically hurt him, but she could be verbally cruel, distant, and crueler when she’d grown bored of him. She’d thought Joe would change after his time with Sandor, thought perhaps he became rougher around the edges and more the type that she would like. She hadn’t been happy when he couldn’t rob a petrol station near where they were staying, yelled at him for nearly getting himself caught by the attendant, things had fallen apart soon after that when she’d found a much better guy for herself. He hadn’t seen or heard from her since and that did hurt, it scared him actually when it had hit him that it was just him.

Then he’d met Campbell in the record shop, had been elated to have somebody choosing to talk to him, and wanting to spend time with him. He wouldn’t dare ask for more than that, for companionship. Sure there was a nagging part in the back of his brain that told him it was horrible of him to take an interest in somebody else, the only person he should ever love and think about even now was Sandor, but Sandor was unfortunately gone. It still hurt, he still dreamed of the day that Sandor killed himself, hated himself for not joining him in that moment, hated him for abandoning him all over some girl. Then again if he’d killed himself that time or the time before that then he never would have met Campbell, they wouldn’t be here now in bed together. His therapist told him it was healthy to move on, it was not healthy for him to cling onto the memory of Sandor so desperately. He did still get a bit annoyed with her when she tried to tell him that Sandor had abused him, that he left him with quite a bit of trauma, Joe didn’t see it that way. He felt that Sandor only treated him the way that he had to, couldn’t blame him for getting frustrated with him all those times. 

It still confused him that Campbell never got upset with him, he was patient with him. It was like sharing a bed, sure he’d shared beds with Sandor, because Sandor made him. He’d wanted to of course, he’d been thrilled the first time to be invited into his bed, to get to lay there and risks glances over at him as he slept until he would wake and threaten him if he didn’t stop. Except Campbell didn’t do that, he didn’t really notice or seem aware that Joe would wake through the nights from nightmares and just look at him, sometimes he would touch him, braver now that he knew Campbell wouldn’t hit him for it. He’d very lightly brush his fingers against Campbell’s prominent jawline, his sharp cheekbones or the bridge of his nose, he loved the touch his hair feeling how soft it was. Sometimes his friend would lean into his touches, thin lips pulling into a smile as if some part of his brain was aware that Joe was admiring him and petting him like that, and he enjoyed it. It was nice to know he welcomed that.

“I think I love you,” he whispered to his sleeping friend, a smile finding his lips as the words left his mouth.

It was nice to say out loud, thrilling really. He’d wanted to tell Sandor time and time again that he was in love with him, but he always felt a heavy fear in his gut each time he thought of saying it. He knew even now he knew that Sandor would have either laughed at him or beaten him up, called him slurs again, Joe learned that too, that the words Sandor threw at him all those times weren’t okay. Campbell never said things like that to him, about him, no he only ever said nice things to him. Of course, he still waited for that kindness to subside, to find out it was never genuine, he always worried for the day it would end. His therapist told him that Campbell seemed nice, that she highly doubted he would end up hurting him emotionally or physically, but if he ever did then he needed to tell somebody about it. 

Campbell wrapped an arm around his waist, fingers stroking along his back, he buried his face against Joe’s chest as he continued to sleep. He couldn’t help but grin at that, feeling puffs of warm breath against his skin, feeling the tickle of his hair against his chest and the brush of fingers against his back. He rests a hand against the back of Campbell’s head, pet his hair, kissed the top of his head. He reminded himself that Campbell wouldn’t be mad waking up finding himself in this position, he never got mad about it. He’d often wake up and look up at him with that adorable sleepy grin of his and say good morning in that lovely accent of his that Joe loved so much. He talked nothing like Sandor, he like Joe didn’t care if he used the ‘proper’ words, he spoke quickly often full of energy that rivalled Joe’s. It was nice, it made him feel more at ease about his own rambling. 

Everything about his friend made him feel more at ease and that was as exciting as it was terrifying, Campbell knew that he felt that way too. No Joe hadn’t outright told him how much it scared him, but he’d voiced to him a time or two, nervous and picking at his fingers as he told him that he was worried about fucking it up. He’d been softly and so ever lovingly reassured time and time again that that wouldn’t happen, Campbell told him that he trusted him, and he’d never get cross with him. He couldn’t help but take him at his word, it was something about his friend when he wasn’t grinning and full of energy, something about his more serious tones where Joe believed him. He could feel it and hear it that he cared about him, cared so much that it was difficult to know what to do with that. He was pretty sure he loved him and he was almost completely positive that if he slipped up and told him or took him out to a nice restaurant and confessed over dinner that Campbell would be thrilled at the confession, he might even say it back. Joe was okay with it if he didn’t feel the same way, he’d always been okay with not being loved back, he much preferred to give all his love away. He’d give all of it to Campbell, felt he had to now that he was all he had left, and he was okay with that. It still hurt to push all memories of Sandor to the furthest corners of his mind, the best that he could anyways, but he felt wrong giving Campbell no space. He wanted him to know how much he cared that he was devoted to him, and that he fully loved him to the best of his abilities. 

He’d seen plenty of shows and films where people laid together like this, where people smiled at each other, and loved each other. He just assumed it was a thing for other people, he’d been told time and time again that he wasn’t the type that people looked for or fell in love with. Tilly often commented on how awkward he was, how he wasn’t entirely bright, or all that good looking. Sandor had always been sure to let him know he wasn’t the best in the world look wise, but Campbell complimented him. Out of nowhere mostly, he’d tell him how beautiful his eyes were or comment on how much he loved his hair that Joe spent nearly all twenty-two years of his life hating. Sometimes he wanted to tell him he was wrong, that he was awkward looking, he was stupid, and not very good at things. Well he was getting good at drawing, sometimes he wrote, but he spelt the words wrong more times than not. Either way Campbell complimented him, told him how he could never draw the way he did, asked him sometimes if he’d write a song for him to play. Joe liked listening to him play guitar, liked hearing him sing, and how happy he was when he did those things. He enjoyed accompanying him to his job at the local radio station, he had the big type of personality that worked perfectly for that job.

He felt lips brush against his chest, tensed for just a moment then relaxed at the feeling of another kiss against his skin. Campbell pulled back, eyes open and shining with love as he smiled up at him. Joe smiled, pushed his hair out of his face only for it to flop back into place a moment later. Campbell leaned up pressing a kiss to his chin then his lips. 

“Been awake long?” He asked, voice tired.

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep, dreams y’know.” It was always the bad dreams that woke him up, it was like a wheel of chance each time he fell asleep about which terrible memory would haunt him.

Campbell kissed him again, gentle, sweet. “Sorry, could have woken me up, I would have been better company awake.” 

“I don’t wanna bother you.”

“It wouldn’t bother me; you could never bother me.” He assured him, hand rubbing along his side coming to rest on his hip.

Joe kissed him, felt thrilled at the fact that he could kiss him. He didn’t feel he had to ask now, he used to ask him constantly if he could kiss him, but now he knew it was okay.

“Do you work today?”

“Yeah, you can come with me if you want.” He suggested pressing a kiss to his jaw.

“Sure, you don’t mind? I don’t think the others at the station like me being there with you.”

Campbell shrugged, “sod them, I can take my boyfriend to work with me if I want.”

Boyfriend, such a lovely word, a new word. He’d never really thought of himself as his boyfriend or anybody’s boyfriend. “Do you think we can go out to eat afterwards, I can pay.”

“Sounds good, you don’t have to worry about paying though, I don’t mind paying for our dinners. I like spoiling you.” 

Joe smiled at that, he couldn’t fully understand why he always insisted on doing nice things for him, but he liked it. Campbell often bought him things, not an over amount, but he’d buy him new clothes or trainers, he’d pay for his meals, and buy him records when he wanted a new one or more. He used to worry about it, worry he owed him money or something else for such nice things, but Campbell assured him time and time again he just liked to do these things for him because he cared about him and thought he deserved nice things. It was sweet, he was sweet, he really did feel like he loved him very much.

Campbell continued kissing along his jaw, it was a nice feeling, his lips were warm and so were his hands. He gently pushed Joe back onto the bed as he continued to kiss along his skin, down along his neck, whispered sweet little compliments against his skin occasionally smiling against his skin. 

“Can I tell you something?” Joe asked drawing his boyfriend’s attention.

“Sure thing,”

Joe sighed feeling that slight nervousness in his gut as he brushed his fingers against the other man’s cheek. “I-I….I love you,” 

Campbell grinned, leaned up and kissed him deeply, hands coming up to cup his face as they continued to kiss. Joe felt elated he wasn’t angry at him, he wasn’t laughing or kicking him out of their bed. 

“Love you too,” he eventually whispered against his lips, still smiling, eyes alight with love and adoration.

It was still so much to know that those adoring looks and kind words were meant for him and him alone.


End file.
